Leading UK IT recycling companies have begun calling for industry standards across the board as it is revealed that the industry is still full of corruption.
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive was passed into law in 2007, but has yet to be properly publicised, enforced or policed said channel players. Chris Sutton, Remploy e-cycle’s general sales manager, said that a large majority of public sector bodies and businesses still fail to properly screen recycling services firms before contracting to them. Mr Sutton also urged for firms to focus on the importance of properly destroying data.
According to Mr Sutton the issue is one of education, where companies are not sure what procedures are required of them. Stone Group, a system builder that just opened a £500,000 recycling facility last year, said last week that it would equip its entire stock of machines with data destruction software.
James Bird, chief executive of the firm, said that more public sector bodies are beginning to address proper end-of-life procedures. The newly passed maximum fine of £500,000 under the Data Protection Act has encouraged firms to comply with the law.
Remploy e-cycle has proposed an industry standards body that would be comprised of a handful of industry players. Mr Sutton said that the body could be needed particularly if public sector budget cuts begin to impact the sector. A spokesperson for rival recycling specialist Midex backed the proposal saying that the company would get behind anything working to improve the industry’s standard of service.
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